Snapshot: Administrative Computing Spending in Higher Education

With the administrative computing market reaching $2.0 billion by 2010, growth drivers include increased use of data by administrators in institutional decision-making, use of CRM-type tools for enrollment management development, and into 2008-2010, introduction of new SOA architectures. The increasing amount of data being collected, stored, analyzed, and accessed through institutional performance measurement initiatives is driving the value of ERP-, SIS-, and CRM-type systems.

Shifting into a businesslike culture on campus, 61 percent of institutions’ presidents polled consider the use of data for strategic decision-making as a crucial use of IT, an indicator of an increasing focus on institution-wide performance management. Investments in performance dashboards and consolidated reporting tools are leading institutions to review the wisdom of continued use of departmental systems that produce data not integrated into the central administrative data set. As institutions seek to enhance or replace their existing investments, vendors are turning to new software architectures, add-on applications, and new features and functionality in order to drive value. Portals provide a Web-based subscriber interface to administrative (and academic) applications, with some suppliers reporting that virtually all new sales of administrative systems are coupled with a portal. Accessing administrative information through a portal supports the rising importance of data in the management of institutions through permissions-based access to and collaboration with stakeholders, including middle managers, senior-level management, and faculty.

With increasing amounts of data being developed by campus applications, institutions also are preparing the data warehousing and reporting environment that will allow them to access this information to provide timely analysis for strategic decisions. Business intelligence tools support managers who are using this data for decision support, while database management suppliers provide the underlying data warehouse capabilities that serve to house institutional data. The combination of both tools provides administrators with the ability to access crucial information and understand its potential impact on institutional performance.

About the Author

About the author: Catherine Burdt is a Senior Analyst within Eduventures' research practice, focusing on educational technology. She is responsible for providing market analysis and insight that will support the development and execution of corporate strategy for many of Eduventures' K-12, postsecondary, and corporate clients. Catherine brings to Eduventures her in-depth knowledge of building technology, developed through her experience working for such technology innovators as Analog Devices and Wang Laboratories. Catherine's expertise includes product and brand management and implementation of initiatives to deliver hardware and software products internationally. She holds an Ed. M. in educational media and technology from Boston University's Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in journalism from Kent State University. Catherine can be reached at cburdt@eduventures.com. For more information on Eduventures, visit www.eduventures.com.